The sudden eruption of violence jolts you into action. The hypothetical scenario is now terrifyingly real. This is your chance – maybe not to play the hero spectacularly, but certainly to gauge the threat and perhaps intervene decisively if needed.
Dusk provides excellent cover. Your dark clothing, which felt so out of place earlier, now blends perfectly with the deepening shadows. You move swiftly and silently down the slope from your observation point, heading towards the eastern side of the village where the attack is focused. Your enhanced Dexterity allows you to navigate the uneven terrain and sparse undergrowth with remarkable quietness, keeping low and using trees and bushes as cover.
You manage to get within thirty meters of the palisade gate, hidden behind a large oak tree at the edge of the cleared land. From here, you have a much clearer view of the chaotic scene unfolding. The flickering light from the goblins' torches casts long, dancing shadows, illuminating the snarling attackers and the grim-faced defenders.
"Oracle, scan the attackers. Ranks, numbers, weapons," you think, focusing intently.
The world doesn't need to freeze for this; the information overlays your vision almost instantly.
<< Scanning hostile entities... >>
<< Confirmed: Nine (9) Goblins detected. Breakdown: >>
- << Seven (7) Goblins, Rank E. Standard armament: Crude clubs, rusty handaxes, thrown rocks. >>
- << One (1) Goblin 'Hob', Rank E+. Larger frame, wielding a notched short sword, appears to be directing others. Stats: STR 9, DEX 8, INT 5, CON 8. >>
- << One (1) Goblin 'Shaman', Rank E+. Smaller frame, carrying a staff topped with feathers and bones, hanging back. Observed chanting (Minor Hex/Curse magic suspected). Stats: STR 5, DEX 7, INT 9, CON 6. >>
<< Overall Threat Assessment: Coordinated group, low-to-mid E rank. Dangerous to unprepared civilians, moderate threat to basic militia. >>
<< Defending Forces Assessment: Four (4) Village Militia (Rank E). Armament: 2 Spears, 1 Pitchfork, 1 Wood Axe. Minimal armor (leather vests). Apparent Leader: Guard with Spear (Rank E+). Status: Holding position, significant stress. >>
<< Scan complete. >>
The scene is exactly as Oracle describes. Seven smaller goblins are screeching and swarming towards the wooden gate, hacking at it with crude weapons and throwing rocks over the top. A slightly larger goblin with a rusty sword – the Hob – bellows commands in a harsh, guttural tongue. Behind them, near the tree line, a scrawnier goblin holds a crude staff aloft, chanting in a high-pitched whine. The four defenders at the gate – the two guards and two villagers – are jabbing with their spears and pitchfork through gaps in the gate and over the top, trying to hold the line. One goblin already lies on the ground, apparently felled by a spear thrust, but the others press the attack relentlessly. Arrows are not flying, suggesting the village lacks archers or they haven't mobilized yet.
You are perfectly positioned in the gloom, unseen by either side. The fight is currently contained at the gate, but the goblins, especially with the Hob directing and the Shaman potentially using magic, seem determined. The defenders look stressed but are holding for now. Your intervention could tip the balance significantly, especially if you target the Hob or the Shaman.
"Oracle, high alert. Passive monitoring only. Freeze time only if I'm about to take a critical hit I can't avoid. I need to handle this myself, learn how to fight properly," you convey mentally.
<< Acknowledged. Passive threat assessment protocol engaged. Temporal intervention threshold set to imminent critical/fatal danger to host. Proceeding with user-directed combat. >>
With Oracle acting as a silent safety net, you feel a surge of focused confidence. The Shaman is the priority – magic, even minor hexes, is an unknown variable you don't want to deal with. It's also hanging back, slightly isolated from the main scrum at the gate. Perfect target.
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You draw the rusty dagger, the rag wrapping falling away silently onto the grass. The cool metal feels solid in your grip. Staying low, you melt back into the deeper shadows flanking the attacking goblins, using the noise of the assault on the gate – the hacking, screeching, and the shouts of the defenders – as cover. Your dark clothes and the deepening twilight make you practically invisible. Your enhanced Dexterity allows you to move with ghost-like silence over the grass and dirt, avoiding twigs and dry leaves.
The Shaman stands maybe fifteen meters from the main group, near the edge of the flickering torchlight thrown by the other goblins. It's completely engrossed in its chanting, staff held high, seemingly oblivious to anything not directly related to its magic or the fight at the gate. You circle wide, approaching it from behind and slightly to its flank, staying outside the main cone of light.
Closing the final few meters requires utmost care. A patch of gravel crunches faintly under your sneaker – you freeze instantly, but the Shaman doesn't react, its high-pitched whine unwavering. You take a breath, adjust your footing, and glide the remaining distance until you are directly behind the chanting goblin. It’s scrawny, even smaller than the one you killed earlier, clad in equally filthy rags adorned with crude bone trinkets that rattle faintly with its movements.
Now.
In one smooth, swift motion practiced just hours before, you step in close, clamp your free hand over the Shaman's mouth to stifle any cry, and whip the dagger across its exposed throat. The rusty blade bites deep. There's a wet, tearing sound and a hot spray against your hand. The chanting stops abruptly, replaced by a muffled gurgle. The goblin's eyes bulge wide in shock and terror, its body convulsing briefly before going limp in your grasp. You carefully lower the corpse to the ground, hidden in the shadows just beyond the torchlight.
Target Eliminated: Goblin Shaman (E+).
You pause, heart hammering, listening intently. The chaos at the gate continues unabated. Neither the Hobgoblin nor the other attackers seem to have noticed the Shaman's sudden silence or disappearance.
So far, so good. Now for the rest.
Seven goblins remain (plus the Hob). They are clustered near the gate, focused entirely on breaking through or attacking the defenders. You see one slightly isolated from the main group, trying to climb onto a discarded barrel near the wall for a better angle to throw rocks. Perfect.
Repeating the process, you slip through the shadows, using the noise and distraction. You reach the climbing goblin's blind spot just as it hauls itself onto the barrel. Another quick, silent strike – this time a stab to the base of the skull. The goblin stiffens and collapses forward onto the barrel, then tumbles limply to the ground behind it.
Target Eliminated: Goblin (E).
Six remain, plus the Hob. You scan the group. Two goblins are hacking furiously at the wooden gate side-by-side. You decide to take them both quickly. You dart forward, aiming for the one on the right first. A powerful thrust with the dagger into its kidney area – it screams, stumbling sideways into its companion. Before the second goblin can fully react to its comrade's cry or turn to face you, you slash the dagger across the back of its exposed neck. It drops its crude axe and falls forward. The first goblin, wounded and screeching, tries to swing its club at you wildly. You easily sidestep the clumsy attack and silence it with a final thrust to the chest.
Targets Eliminated: Goblins x 2 (E).
The sudden screams and collapse of three goblins in quick succession finally breaks through the battlelust of the remaining attackers. The Hobgoblin, bellowing orders near the gate, whirls around, its yellow eyes widening as it sees you standing over the fresh corpses, dagger dripping. The remaining four standard goblins also halt their attack, looking between you, their fallen comrades, and their leader with confusion and growing fear. Even the defenders at the gate seem momentarily stunned by your sudden, deadly appearance from the shadows.
The immediate element of surprise is gone. You stand facing the Hobgoblin and four remaining regular goblins. The Hob lets out a furious roar, pointing its notched sword at you. The initiative is still yours, but now it's an open confrontation.
Time: Dusk
Date: 01/05/1042
Character: Keelan
Combat Experience Gained: (Significant XP boost from multiple E/E+ kills, especially the Shaman and Hob's proximity) -> Applied post-combat
Skills: Stealth (Improved), Dagger Combat (Improved)
Status:
- Hunger: Starving
- Thirst: Slightly Thirsty
- Stamina: Slightly Depleted (Multiple quick kills)
- Adrenaline: High
Inventory: Unchanged (Dagger now unwrapped and bloody)